Posted on 01/06/2012 8:50:18 AM PST by matt1234
Are you ready for the vegetable census? Yesterday I received the “2012 National Agricultural Classification Survey” from the US Dept. of Agriculture. It was accompanied by a cover letter stating (in large, bold font) that my response is required by law; and, if I do not reply, I “may be personally visited.” I am not and have never been a farmer or rancher. My land has never been farmed or ranched. I do, however, have a vegetable garden that I built in 2009. This garden is private and noncommercial. There is no illegal activity whatsoever on my property.
The survey is 4 pages consisting of dozens of questions. Among the pressing concerns of the USDA are the gender and ethnic origin of my “operators.” (I have none.)
I have no idea how I appeared on the USDA’s radar. Possibilities are aerial surveillance or monitoring of seed purchases.
In full disclosure, the survey states that a recipient can opt out of the main portion of the survey if he answers “No” to the first four questions. However, the way they are written, it seems impossible for a landowner or renter to answer “No.” For example, one of these questions is “Do you own, rent, or operate cropland, pastureland, or land with the potential for agricultural production?” Ponder that. Doesn’t all “land” have “the potential for agricultural production”? If so, a landowner or renter cannot answer “No” and thereby opt out. (Even a lot covered completely by a building has “the potential for agricultural production” because you can grow food on the roof or windowsills, or you can tear down the building.) So, the way I read this, if you own or rent land, you cannot opt out. Moreover, according to another of the first four questions, if you own one or more livestock animals, even a chicken or a horse, you cannot opt out.
This survey is patently absurd, in my case as a simple gardener, and in EVERY case, as evidenced by the survey’s language described in the preceding paragraph.
Questions to fellow FReepers:
1. Does anyone have experience with this survey?
2. Any suggestions about my course of action?
3. What would John Galt do?
Mostly in the ground, but the survey also asks about nurseries and greenhouses. The survey seems created for farmers. That is why I was surprised to receive it. I'm not a farmer.
“Guide wild hog hunts”.
We have done so the past two years. The first time around sixteen hogs were killed. Last year we managed only five. A couple of the hunters used bows and arrows. They were deadly.
Most of the hogs were caught in a cage baited with corn and molasses.
2012 National Agricultural Classification Survey
Thank goodness, God, and JimRob for FR.
Here’s another weird story about this survey. My sister just got one in the mail today. She’s lived in the same home for about 20 years and has never gotten one of these surveys before. The home is on less than a half acre, zoned residential, and in a residential area. She said that if you fill out the first four questions with a “no”, you’re then provided space on the survey where you’re asked to write a note stating that you’re not farming.
How bizarre.
My husband and I received this survey in the mail. On the front is stated that by Federal law we are required to fill out the survey. We do live on one acre of zoned residential land, which is also agriculturally zoned, although no one has more than two acres in this area. One neighbor has horses and several have their own very small home gardens. One has a few chickens. We did fill out “no” on those first four questions, so we didn’t have to fill out the rest of the survey, but we HAD to write a note at the top of the survey stating that we don’t farm. We wrote the word not. Now that word can be interpreted a couple of different ways like; not farming or no, not farming . . . NOT! We do grow a few tomato vines and a small stand of raspberries, which according to the survey is farming! We purposely wrote a vague, ambiguous note. It is just NOT the government’s business what we grow to eat ourselves. As also required, my husband did print his name, phone number and date on the bottom of the fourth page. This survey is clearly a result of that ridiculous bill passed last year that was the first step toward regulating local farmer’s markets, fruit stands, etc. Our talk show hosts warned that it would also lead to regulating food grown by individual homeowners for their own use. America needs to wake up; our rights are being eroded faster than I can water my 4 tomato plants.
I haven’t looked at the gardening thread yet - is this stuff in there? Here’s the 2nd thread of this nature.
LOL!
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